/ 21 September 1999

MATRICIDE SUSPECTS CITE WITCHCRAFT AS MOTIVE

TWO sisters who allegedly hired a hit-man to kill their mother were granted bail in a Northern Province Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Provincial police spokesman Senior Superintendent Phuti Setati said the women were convinced their 75-year-old mother had used muti to cause the deaths of their father and one brother. They also blamed her for a road accident in which another brother of theirs was injured. Setati said that three months ago a man murdered Magdalene Mamabolo, of Segopye village near Pietersburg, by hitting her on the head with a blunt object. Detectives stuck with the case until Monday, when the two women and the alleged hit man were arrested. Gloria Gwangwa, (45) Sarah Mamabolo, (35) and Abram Magashoa, (30) were not asked to plead to a murder charge and all three were granted R5000 bail each. They’ll appear in court again on October 15.